Our Daily Bread 21 August 2020 Devotional
Topic: Bright Spots in Bleak Places
Today’s Scripture: Psalm 86:1–13(NIV)
Bible in a Year: Psalms 107–109,1 Corinthians 4
Key Verse: You, Lord, are forgiving and good, abounding in love to all who call to you. – Psalm 86:5
But David goes on to declare that we serve a faithful (v. 11), “compassionate and gracious God” (v. 15), who abounds in love for all who call on Him (v. 5). He does answer (v. 7).
Sometimes in bleak places, God sends a sunflower—an encouraging word or note from a friend; a comforting verse or Bible passage; a beautiful sunrise—that helps us to move forward with a lighter step, with hope. Even as we await the day we experience God’s deliverance out of our difficulty, may we join the psalmist in proclaiming, “You are great and do marvelous deeds; you alone are God”! (v. 10).
Reflect & Pray
Out of what difficult place has God delivered you? During that time, did you experience any “sunflowers” that helped you persevere?
Loving God, thank You for being compassionate and gracious. Help me to remember how You’ve been faithful and answered my prayers in the past—and will again in the future.
Alyson Kieda has been an editor for Our Daily Bread Ministries for over a decade and has more than forty years of editing experience. Alyson has loved writing since she was a child and is thrilled to be writing for Our Daily Bread. She’s married with three adult children and a growing number of grandchildren. Alyson loves reading, walking in the woods, and being with family. She feels blessed to be following in the footsteps of her mother, who wrote articles many years ago for another devotional.